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(No Model.)

' G. A. MGKENZIE.

VISE. No. 587,749. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. MCKENZIE, OF WEST BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO S. L.GARLAND, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

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` Y' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 587,749, datedAugust 10, 1897.

Application iled February 19 1897. Serial No. 624.203. (No model.)

To all whom t 11a/,Ly concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HCKENZIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vises, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

This invention relates to improvements in vises, and pertainsparticularly to that class of vises in which a pawl and ratchet is usedfor determining the location of the movable jaw and with a screw as ameans for loosening or tightening the jaws of the vise upon the work. i

My invention consists, mainly, in the peculiar construction andarrangement of the parts and in the combination andthe operation of thesame, as I will hereinafter proceed to explain in detail, and which willalso be fully set forth in the claims of this specification.

The object I desire to attain by my invention is, primarily, to arrangeand construct a vise for general use, so that a cheaply-manufactured andreliable implement can be produced which at the same time will be ofquick action and easily manipulated.

Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange a vise ofthe class before mentioned that the strain on the ratchet and pawl isexerted in a direct line with the axis of the clamping-screw, wherebythe strain on the holding` parts is lessened and the strain on thesupporting-arm, when the jaws are closed heavily upon the work, isexerted in a plane with the axis of the clamping-screw, whereby alluneven strain and clamping action on the ratchet-and-pawl mechanism isavoided.

I attain these objects by means of the devices and contrivancesillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the same figures ot'reference will be found designating the same elements or partsthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a vise embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, takenat X X. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the base portion ofthe'vise and showing the manner of supporting the pawl in position. Fig.4t is a view of the pawl detached.

lis the body or base portion of the vise, which rests upon a bench orother suitable support, to which it may be secured in any convenientmanner. The upper portion of this body 1 is provided with astationaryjaw 2, and through the body portion is provided anV opening 3,of rectangular or any desired form, and extending from front to rear.Within this opening and near the front portion of the`bottom 4 thereofis arranged the upwardly-projecting supports 5, and between thesesupports is provided a slot 6, which extends into anoutwardly-projecting portion '7, which is a continuation of the base ofthe body portion 1.

Fitted to pass easily through the opening 3 is the arm 8, which ishollow and arranged with an open lower side, while the outer or frontend of the arm is closed and provided with a centrally-located opening9, while extending upwardly from the outer end of this arm is the outeror movable jaw lO, which is arranged to oppose the rigid jaw 2.

Within the hollow arm S is placed the ratcliet-piece l1, which entirelyfills the space within the arm transversely and extends nearly itsentire length, and upon the under side of the rear portion of this pieceis provided a series of ratchet-teeth 12, while the outer end portion ofthe ratchet-piece is provided on its underside with the longitudinalflan ges 13, which also extend along the lateral edges of theratchet-teeth, and with a closed outer end 14,' and with atransverseiiange 15, which forms a chamber 16 between the flanges, andinto this chamber is placed the nut 17. l

1S is a clamping-screw which is provided on its outer end with asuitable head having a shoulder 19 and a lever 2O with which to turn thescrew, and the inner threaded portion of the screw is passed through theopen-` ing 9 in the outer end of the arm and through 17, which islocated between the flanges and which, as the screw is revolved, servesto 11npart to the ratchet-bar 11 a longitudinal move-- ment within thehollow arm S either outwardly or inwardly, as desired.

Within the opening 3 is placed a pawl-piece 21 with its inner end 22arranged for engagement with the ratchet-teeth 12, and this inner endportion is of a width to extend entirely across the ratchet-bar betweenthe iianges 13, while the outer end portion 23 thereof is narrowedfromthe middle-portion outwardly, forming shoulders 2ten each side ofits middle portion, which rest against the inner edges of the projectingsupports 5, while the outer portion 23 is provided with a weightedportion 25, which, turning downwardly, is passed through the opening orslot 6, so that the weight of the end 25 serves to lift the inner end ofthe pawl into engagement with the ratchet-teeth and also serves as aprojecting 'han dle which, when lifted, operates to release the pawlfrom engagement with the ratchetteeth, the supports 5 acting as a pivotto allow the pawl to oscillate thereon, and if desired a wire or string26 may be attached to the pawl by one end while the opposite end issecured to a foot-lever 27, which can be operated by the foot fordepressing the pawl, so as to leave the hands of the operator free forholding the work between the extended jaws and for turning the screw forclamping the work in position.

When the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet-teeth, the outer jaw,together with the arm, the screw, and the ratchet-piece with the nutcarried thereby may be moved outwardly to any desired position forplacing large work between the jaws, and the pawl then being released atonce engages with the ratchet-tooth at its end, and the screw can thenbe turned for tightening the jaws upon the work in the same manner aswith an ordinary vise, and as the ratchet devices allow the jaws to beadjusted to close proximity to the work only one or two turns of thescrew is required to firmly clamp the work in position. NVhen it isdesired tomove the outer jaw inwardly to reduce the space between thejaws for clamping smaller work, the arm withthe outer jaw is pushedinwardly and the pawl then slides over the teeth until the desiredposition is reached and the pawl again engages the adjacent tooth, andthen the screw can again be turned for clamping the work, and thus thenecessity of turning the screw a great number of times for adjusting thejaws for a great distance is entirely avoided and valuable'time isgained in the manipulation of the vise.

It will be observed that by arranging the ratchet-bar within the hollowarm and providing for a movement of the hollow arm independent of theratchet-bar provides au.

arrangement of the parts which permits the screw connection to be madewith the outer end of the ratchet-bar and allows the clamping-screw tobe shortened to about one-third of the length of the usualclamping-screw, and also allows the remaining parts of the, vise to bemade bycasting and without machine-finishing, so that the only parts ofthe vise requiring tine machine-work are the short screw and the nut,whereby the cost of manufacturing a iirst-class vise, which can be usedinstead of the ordinary vise, is reduced to a minimum and an implementis furnished which has a more rapid means of manipulation than theordinary vise.

Of course I do not claim the pawl-andratchetcombination in a vise ofthemselves, as these elements' are known to be in use, but by thearrangement and construction of the movable ratchet-piece within thehollow arm and the short clamping-screw, together with other parts andcontrivances which I have hereinbefore described, the pawl and ratchetis renderedcapable of producing the result sought, and a quick andeasily adjusted implement is produced, which-can be i manufactured at aless cost than the ordinary vise having a slow adjustment of the jawswith the screw alone,

Having described the construction and operation of my improvement, whatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1.In a vise the combination of the body portion having a stationary jawand provided with a horizontal opening extending through i the body fromfront to rear, andprovidedon its bottom side withupwardly-projectingsnpports, a pawl-piece provided withlaterallyprojecting shoulders for engaging with the inner sides of saidsupports, a ratchet-piece` having teeth for engaging with the inner endof said pawl, and provided on its outer end with a threaded nut, ahollow supporting-arm passed over said ratchet-piece and through saidopening and provided on its outer end with a jaw for opposing saidstationary jaw, and a clamping-screw havingits inner threaded end passedthrough the outer end of said hollow arm and into said nut on theratchet-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vise the combination of the body portion provided with astationary jaw, and having an opening extending lfrom front to rearthrough the body and provided on the bottom side of said opening withupwardlyj 587,749 l o e stationary jaw, with aratohet-bar Within said Intestimony whereof I hereunto affix my hollow mn and provided on itsinner portion signature in presence of two Witnesses. with ratchet-teethfor engagement With said 1 pawl, and having on its outer end a nut, andGEORGE A' MCKENZIE a clamping-screw passed through the outer Witnesses:portion of said hollow arm and into said nut GEO. P. THOMAS, on theratchet-bar, substantially as set forth. JAS. E. THOMAS.

